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Monday, March 27, 2017

Chapter 327 The Christmas Wish

“Wasn’t
sure you’d like it,” Violet said. “You
seemed to be getting rather attached to my own coat.”

Sophie giggled and tried the new coat on
over her PJs. “This one fits me much better,” she said.

“As should the dress,”
Violet said. “My dress was too lose and too short on you.”

“I dunno about that,
Violet. Sophie’s boyfriends seemed to like what she wore yesterday just fine,”
Janice said, pulling on the knit tunic Violet made for her over her night gown “I
love this! It’ll even fit when my baby bump gets bigger.”

“Don’t
start that boyfriend stuff again,” Sophie warned, stuffing
her feet into the new boots she got from her Aunt Laurie and Uncle Freddy.

“What do you know about
this rich kid Sophie’s hanging with, Mom?”
Kenny asked, as he opened drawer after drawer of his shiny, new tool chest
which, as big as it is, he still couldn’t see how his mother had
hidden it from him until Christmas day. “If he’s
anything like the Romanoff boys…”

“What’s
that supposed to mean?” Sophie snapped. “What
is it with you and them? Thought that feud died with your interest in little
league.”

“That’s
my point. They haven’t changed much since
then,” Kenny retorted. “Simon’s
still as superior as ever and Ron…well, he seems nice
enough, but he’s flighty and from what I could see he has no direction in life.”

“Now who sounds like pompous Simon?” Sophie muttered, angrily.

“How is that any
different from most millennials, Kenny?” Janice asked. “Hardly
any of them know what they want to do…besides play video games
in their parent’s basement.”

“Ronnie doesn’t
play video games!” Sophie said, although
she wasn’t certain of that.

“I expect better from
someone dating my sister,” he said.

“Geeze, I’m
not dating Ronnie. I’m not dating anybody!”
Sophie said.

“What about Rance?”
Janice said. “He’s nice and very good
looking and besides that he’s filthy rich. You could
do worse.”

“You sure did,”
Sophie muttered, derisively.

“Hey!”
Kenny said, tossing an empty box at her.

Violet shook her head. “You
kids never change,” she said. “We
should get ready for church, if you’re coming with me.”

“Of course we are,”
Kenny said. “You never let us stay behind before this and anyway, we have
that festive Christmas brunch to look forward to and I’m
already hungry!”

“Well, we can drive
separately then, because I don’t really want to go to
it,” Violet said, folding boxes and wrapping paper to save for next
year.

“Whaddaya kidding me?”
Kenny said. “Everybody else will be there and you’ll
be all alone at home? I don’t think so, Mom! You are
coming with us.”

Violet grumbled to herself as the others
went off to shower and get dressed. “I hate this,”
she said, just as Calendula appeared from around the Christmas tree and meowed
at her. “Oh, yeah? Well what do you know about it? You have no idea how frustrating
it was not to have two minutes together to speak to Victor.”

“I suppose you think I
ought to go anyway, so you can have the house to yourself.”

“Merrrow,”
Calendula said, with a bit of attitude.

“True, you have the house
to yourself most times and you seem happy enough when I get home, although I
suppose that’s because you expect me to clean your litter box and feed you.”
Violet said.

“Roowr,”
said Calendula.“True, it couldn’t possibly be worse than
last night,” Violet said.

“Meorrrr,”
Calendula retorted.

“I know, I know,” Violet said. “It
wasn’t bad at all. I just wish…what I really want to do
today, what I’ve been wanting for so long now. I wish I could see my mom
today. I have done so every year and…I miss talking to her…even
if she can’t hear me and can’t talk back. I could
still imagine what advice she’d give me. She always
said the right thing...I imagine she would, anyway and…That’s
what I really want for Christmas.”

“You’re
right, Calendula, I need to have a serious chat with Freddy today and find out
where the heck he stashed her away! He’s not getting away with
this any longer!”

“Mmmrrar,”
Calendula said, sounding rather impressed with this new found feisty attitude.

“You think it might be
okay then…going to Victor’s house today?”
Violet asked.

The cat purred her response as Violet
gave her a little scratch behind the ears.

“Well, I’ll
take that as a promise that everything will be okay and I will hold you to it!” Violet said, getting up
to finish with the cleaning.

Calendula narrowed her eyes and turned
her bushy ginger tail at her human. Apparently, she didn’t
like the idea of being blamed for something which was so out of her control!

*****

No less than fifteen people came up to
Violet after church service to remind her about the Christmas brunch, but the
only one which mattered was Victor himself.

“You disappeared last night
before saying good night,” he said.

“You were so busy with
your guests and it was getting very late, so…” Violet explained.

“But you left before I
told you about Christmas brunch. Marty made me promise to tell you all about
it. She will have my head on a silver platter if I don’t
get you to come over. And you know she’ll do it!”
he said, in mock fright.

She laughed. “I
have no choice in the matter. My kids are starved and you’re
offering them food, so we will be there,” she said. “Is
there anything I can bring?”

“Just you and your kids. I really like Kenny, by the way,”
Victor said, lowering his voice. “He reminds me of
Richard. I can clearly see why you are so proud of him.”

Violet stared up at him, stunned that he
would say that. “Thank you, Victor,”
she whispered. “It means so much to hear
you say that.”

“And I should
congratulate you. Gramma Violet…can’t
believe it. Pity Richard isn’t around to see his
first grandchild,” Victor said. “But
who would ever believe you two are old enough to be grandparents? You’re
practically a baby yourself.”

“Let’s
not get carried away, Victor,” Violet said.

“I know some women much
older than you who are only now starting to think about having kids. Crazy world,
huh?”

“Crazy indeed,”
she said just as Ronnie came up to them.

“Merry Christmas, Violet!”
Ronnie said, as usual hugging her right off her feet. “I got a present for you, but it’s at home, so come on!”

“Yes, Ronnie, I know, but
I can’t go before the host gets there,” Violet said.

“Pffft! You actually
think Dad has anything to do with arranging this thing?”
Ronnie said. “Gramma will tell you. He’s just another guest…even
at his own house!”

“Tolja!”
Victor said.

“Yes, you did,”
Violet replied with a laugh.

“See you there, Violet,”
Victor said. “And if you need more enticement, the kids and I have presents
for you, too.”

*****

Victor certainly had not been kidding about the
presents! Violet was unwrapping presents for a solid hour.

Just when she was knee deep in wrapping paper, ribbons and gifts,
big and small, Laurie came in followed by the kids.

Jimmy slowly opened the front door allowing Freddy, wearing an anxious sort of smile, to walk in first and right
behind him

Violet saw a short and stout, though elegantly dressed man in his late
fifties gently guiding in a frail looking woman seemingly of similar age though
the auburn colored hair surrounding her thin face was flecked with a lot of
gray.

Violet blinked and blinked again, her mouth hanging open. She was either hallucinating, dreaming or her Christmas wish had just come true.

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Violet’s in Bloom is set in modern times in a fictitious small town, Catalpa Valley in upstate New York. The story centers around three people, one desperate for love and family, the other just as desperately holding onto the past and the ghost who unwittingly stands in their way.

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